2023 IPPY AWARD

Merion is a young mouse who has worked hard to overcome her physical disability and earn her place as a messenger for the Royal Message Service of her country, Lyleechee. When she stumbles upon a plan of high treason, however, her life is upended. In this crisis the intelligence agency LITE is reestablished by Xander Shadow and Merion is recruited to the newly formed LITE Academy as an agent in training. Before she finishes, she will be called upon to use her cunning, courage, and daring to help foil the plot to take over Lyleechee.

ChildrensIllustrators.com

Hooray! My art is featured this week in the ChildrensIllustrators.com newsletter. I am working in two styles: painterly and graphic. This image is graphic with bold shapes and colors.

Commission: "Something Old"

I created this piece for a commission for an upcoming IA/MN SCBWI middle grade and young adult (MG/YA) workshop titled, “Something Old”. I am obsessed with mysteries and murder mysteries. My streaming video feed is almost all mysteries. But I also like history. And you know what’s really old and very cool? Egyptian art and artifacts: hieroglyphs, Egyptian canopic jars, towering statues, and other tomb treasures.

To the Edge of Our Galaxy

I was inspired by the James Webb telescope launch to make this art. The telescope was designed to unfold like origami and travel to the outer edge of our galaxy. It is hard to imagine how far away that is. But I wonder what is out there.

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/Gallery/JWST.html

https://www.npr.org/2021/09/16/1036600340/nasa-is-launching-a-new-telescope-that-could-offer-some-cosmic-eye-candy

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/the-long-awaited-james-webb-space-telescope-has-a-big-to-do-list

#Artvsartist challenge

The Art VS Artist challenge is to post eight pieces art you made throughout the year with a photo of the artist. I made much more than eight, but this year I focused on making children's books fiction and nonfiction art. #artvsartist2021 #artvsartist #artvsartist21

WIP for #Huevember

I’m experimenting and playing with color for #Huevember, hues: red through green with an emphasis on magenta. #WIP #painterly #amillustrating #kidlitart #nebula #artistsoninstagram #space #fantasyart

#Huevember challenge

#Huevember is a challenge to create images based on the color wheel. Since I am working on multiple projects I am combining the yellow days into one piece. The boy plays in the park with his imaginary friend, a leaf-griffin. Griffins represents strength and wisdom. What a great imaginary friend to have!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of Thanksgiving is PIE! I’m not so much of a fan of pecan pie (too sweet) but I’d eat pumpkin pie everyday.

I was asked by my friends at Carolinas SCBWI to make a banner illustration for their November Newsletter https://carolinas.scbwi.org. I had fun making this illustration for them and I based it on the menu items found at a Thanksgiving table is the Carolinas. I grew up in Wisconsin, and we did not eat Mac-n-cheese and onion rings for our Thanksgiving meal. But each region of the United States has their own influence on this American meal and it is nice to see all the variations to the same theme. I’m looking forward to gathering with my family this year.

How do I prepare my family’s Thanksgiving dinner? Well, we eat a completely gluten and dairy free version of the menu items. I know it’s hard to imagine the Thanksgiving dinner could taste alright without those two main ingredients, but I make it work, and it’s delicious! The last couple of years, I have been seasoning the turkey with curry paste. That combo is really yummy, you should try it! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/260184/mild-curry-turkey/

RACE YOU TO PIE!

Pumpkin Pie Recipe
https://www.thespruceeats.com/dairy-free-gluten-free-pumpkin-pie-1001455

Carolinas SCBWI Banner submission for the November Newsletter

DRAWlloween 2021: Trick-or-treat

Happy Halloween! DRAWlloween is one of many art prompts during October. Day 31” “Trick-or-treat”!!!

#Cozytober 2021: Hot Drinks

This image is from my picture book, TAKÓŽA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL, written by Tara Perron. TAKÓŽA (grandchild) drinks cedar tea with her Kúŋši (grandmother). This endearing, lyrical picture book is as cozy as snuggling under a star quilt on a chilly day. #Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October.

“Then, together they fill the kettle with cedar tea and feast on bread with maple syrup.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

INKtober 2021: Connect

The prompt of #Inktober Day 26 is “Connect”. This image is from my picture book, TAKÓŽA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL, written by Tara Perron. I illustrated the book with dotted lines to symbolize the threads that Kúŋši (grandmother) sews into the quilts. She uses her quilts (throughout the book) to tell stories to her Takóža (granddaughter).

“All summer the village waits patiently to watch you grow. We all have our part.” —Tara Perron, TAKOZA: WALKS WITH THE BLUE MOON GIRL

#Cozytober 2021: Leaf Pile

From the picture book, THE MUKLUK BALL, written by Katharine Johnson and illustrated by me!. “All autumn Karhu swayed, glided and whirled with his new friends.” —Katharine Johnson, Minnesota Historical Society Press. #Cozytober #Drawlloween2021 #drawlloween #witch #ChildrensBooks #scbwiARTober #kidlitart #artistsoninstagram #amillustrating #portfolio #work #multimedia #artistontwitter #Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October.

#INKtober 2021: Fuzzy

There’s nothing fuzzy about climate change. We need to act NOW. #INKtober is a month-long art prompt for illustrators. Made with ink and salt. #Inktober Day 21: “Fuzzy”

“Plastic pollution in oceans and other bodies of water continues to grow sharply and could more than double by 2030, according to an assessment released on Thursday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).” https://tinyurl.com/82mskuj9

#Cozytober 2021: Baking

Anyone who has visited the North Shore of Minnesota (north of Duluth, MN on Lake Superior) knows you must stop at Betty’s Pies. This image is from my picture book, THE MUKLUK BALL, written by Katharine Johnson for the Minnesota Historical Society Press. #cozytober 2021 #baking #Cozytober is a month-long art prompt during October.

“Youngsters led him (Karhu) in the bunny hop.” —Katharine Johnson, The Mukluk Ball

#Inktober 2021: Helmet

Wear a helmet! #Inktober is a month-long art prompt for illustrators. Day 15: “Helmet”.

#INKtober 2021: Tick (Tock)

INKtober is a month-long art prompt challenge. The day 14 prompt is: “tick”.

Tick-tock goes the cuckoo clock!

#Drawlloween: MUMMY

There are soooooo many fun illustration prompts in October: #inktober, #drawtober, #drawlloween, #peachtober, #cozytober, #OC_tober, and #tradtober, to name a few. What will everyone be doing the rest of the year? haha… This one is for the #Drawlloween day 12: #Mummy.

Watch out behind you!

October is magical!

The leaves are changing color. Animals scurry to prep for winter. Pumpkins are carved and lighted. October is magical! http://aliciaschwab.com #scbwiARTober #kidlitart #art #design #artistsoninstagram #inspiration #amillustrating #portfolio #digitalcreators #drawtober #work #digitalart #DigitalArtist #multimedia

Renwable Energy: Two

Portfolio work: seven sources of renewable energy.

Renewable Energy: One

It’s Not Corny! Biomass is one of seven sources of renewable energy.